Range construction



1962 R. D. SCHIBLEY RANGE CONSTRUCTION Filed July 11, 1960 FIGJ.

FIGZ.

tats

This invention relates to cooking ovens, more particularly to means for counterbalancing the doors of such ovens, and has for an object to provide an improved adjustable anchor for the resilient biasing mechanism of such counterbalancing means.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to dispose the counterbalancing mechanism for the doors of ovens of free standing ranges or cook stoves in spaces at a lower level than the ovens, usually spaces adjacent bottom storage drawers.

Most prior counterbalancing mechanisms have included a tension coil spring whose tension might require adjustment in the field. Frequently, this adjustment has been a relatively difficult service operation, even after removal of the storage drawer to obtain access to the adjusting mechanism.

The present invention greatly simplifies the adjustment of the spring tension by locating the adjustable anchor above the oven structure as a place where it is readily accessible through the heater element openings or upon removal of the range platform. The invention is also applicable to built-in ovens, where no space is available below the oven for any adjustable anchoring mechanism.

The invention also provides novel adjustable anchoring means for conventional over door counterbalancing springs, including upper and lower plates cooperating to provide a space confining one end of an adjustable anchor bracket. An adjusting screw extends into the space and is threadedly connected to the anchor bracket to facilitate adjustment thereof within the confines of the anchor bracket retaining space. One wall of the upper plate functions as a guide for the anchor bracket during adjustment thereof, and in the event of accidental disengagement of the adjusting screw from the bracket the latter is retained within the space where it may be easily reconnected with the adjusting screw.

One object of the present invention is to simplify adjustment of the counterbalancing mechanisms for Oven doors.

Another object of the invention is to insure that connection between an oven door counterbalancing mechanism and its anchor will not be broken due to accidental adjustment of the anchor beyond the intended limits of normal adjustment.

The foregoing and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top elevational View of a cook stove or range incorporating the present invention, with portions broken away to more clearly show the novel construction;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the range of FIG. 1, with the oven door closed;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the oven door in open position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the adjustable oven door counterbalancing mechanisms; and,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the structure shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown a cook stove or range, which may be of either the electric or gas type, and includes a body in which is housed the usual oven liner 11 whose access opening at the front of the range is normally closed by an oven door 12.

Patented Get. 16, 1962 The customary range platform 13 is disposed in overlying relation to the range body 10. It will be noted that the upper surface of the platform 13 is spaced from the upper portion of the range body, as at 14, to provide the usual space necessary for surface heating elements carried by the platform 13, and indicated schematically in FIG. 1 by dot-dash circles.

The oven door 12 is pivotally connected, as at 16, to a pair of hinge arms 17 disposed at either side of the oven access opening near the bottom thereof. A pair of conventional hinge blades 18 are pivotally connected at their forward ends, as at 19, with the side edges of the door 12, a short distance above the door pivotal connections 16. The other ends of the hinge blades 18 are secured to one end of tension coil springs 21, whose other ends are secured to adjustable anchoring means 22 constructed and located in accordance with the present invention.

The range body 10 involves framework including horizontal flanges 23 extending from front to rear of the range. These flanges 23 may be part of the body frame, as at the extreme right in FIG. 1, or may be part of a separate angle member intermediate the sides of the range body, as shown in the cutaway portion near the center of FIG. 1. In either event, the horizontal flanges 23 extend toward each other at opposite sides of the oven liner 11, but preferably at a level thereabove.

Referring now to FIG. 4 for a detailed description of the adjustable anchor means 22., it will be seen that the flanges 23 constitutes, in effect, a lower plate on which is secured an upper plate 26 having flat terminal portions 27 secured to the lower plate 23 by any suitable means and including an intermediate portion 28 of inverted V formation having flat portions 28a and 28b lying in planes substantially normal to each other. In the arrangement herein illustrated, the flat portions 28a and 2812 are formed integral with a triangular plate 31 which closes one side of the triangular space 29 defined by the inclined upper plate portions 28a and 28b and the intermediate portion of the lower plate 23.

The lower plate 23 is provided with an elongated slot 32 disposed adjacent the inclined plate portion 28a. An L-shaped anchor bracket 33 is provided with suitable means, such as a hole 37, for ready attachment of the upper end of the tension coil spring 21. It will be apparent that instead of the hole 37, the leg 34 may be provided with a hook portion or any other suitable construction or arrangement for ready attachment or detachment of the coil spring 21 relative thereto.

An adjusting screw 38 is freely rotatable in an opening in the inclined plate portion 28b and is threaded in an opening in the foot 36 of the anchor bracket. It is believed apparent that, when the adjusting screw 38 is turned in one direction the adjusting bracket 33 will be moved upwardly to increase the tension of the coil spring 21, and when rotated in the opposite direction the bracket 33 will be moved downwardly to decrease the tension of the coil spring.

Presumably, any adjustment of the bracket 34 would be made with the oven door 12 in its closed position, since when in that position the spring 21 is under minimum tension, as clearly shown by comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3. However, it will be noted from FIG. 2 that with the oven door closed the direction of application of tension to the bracket 34 by the spring 21 is at a substantial angle to the longitudinal axis of the adjusting screw 38. If it were not for the presence of the inclined plate portion 28a, disposed parallel to the axis of the adjusting screw and in abutting engagement with the adjacent edge of the adjusting bracket foot 36, the bracket would be tilted counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, resulting in binding of the screw 38 in the cooperating threaded openiug of the foot. Such binding would render adjustment difiicult, if not impossible. It

will be apparent that the guiding action of the inclined plate portion 284: on the adjusting bracket 34 constitutes an important feature of applicants novel construction.

It is believed apparent from the above description, together with reference to the drawing, that the present invention provides for counterbalancing of the oven door in a manner which renders the counterbalance easily serviceable, without the necessity of removing storage drawers beneath the oven, as in many prior constructions. Furthermore, there is provided an adjustment for the counterbalance mechanism which is easily serviced simply by temporary removal of the range platform 13. Furthermore, it may be entirely unnecessary to remove the range platform to make adjustments, as where the surface heating elements are reasonably close to the counterbalancing adjustable anchor means, the latter may be adjusted by removing a surface heating element and reaching in through the opening thus provided to turn the adjusting screw 38'.

A further advantage of the novel adjusting means herein disclosed is that, in the event the adjusting screw is turned out too far, and the screw becomes disconnected from the adjusting bracket 33, the bracket will still be retained within the triangular space 29, where it can be easily reconnected to the adjusting screw.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

For use in a cook stove or the like, an adjustable anchor for a tension coil spring of an oven door counterbalance, said adjustable anchor comprising a lower horizontal plate and an upper plate of inverted V formation carried by the lower plate and defining therewith a triangular space, said lower plate having an elongated slot therethrough communicating with said triangular space, an L-shaped anchor bracket disposed with its foot in the triangular space and the free end of its leg projecting downwardly through the elongated slot in the lower plate, said free end of the leg being formed for attachment thereto of a tension coil spring of an oven door counterbalance, and a screw extending downwardly through an opening in one side of the upper plate inverted V and being freely rotatable in said opening, said screw being threaded in an opening in the foot of the anchor bracket, whereby rotation of the screw effects longitudinal adjustment of the anchor bracket, the elongated slot in the lower plate being disposed adjacent the other side of the upper plate inverted V and said other side lying in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adjusting screw, whereby said other side guides the anchor bracket during longitudinal adjustment of the latter and prevents binding of the screw in the foot of the anchor bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,207 Mulligan May 26, 1903 964,651 Kirk July 19, 1910 2,513,414 Jones et a1 July 4, 1950 

